Forget The World
by Bluestarshine
Summary: "I need you to know that you made me better than I ever could've been in the real world. Better than I ever was before." Julia&Barbie one-shot.


**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing. The Dome belongs to its respective owners.**

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Time falls quickly, and he still can't find her.

Barbie continues moving quickly through the empty town, his chest heaves in and out, his eyes dart around constantly in search of her. His voice rings through the silence but she doesn't answer. He receives no answer. His eyes flicker between his watch, the streets and houses he passes, and the outside world.

It's coming. Their inevitable end is coming. They will never be part of this world again, for they ceased being part of it the moment the dome dropped and they were cut off. The dome would lead them all to their deaths, and despite how much he had silently tried to convince himself that he didn't care if he died alone - Barbie cared. He didn't want to face this end on his own.

He wanted to be by Julia's side, to feel her next to him and hold her in his arms. He longed to hear her voice once more, before they were torn from each other and ripped from this world. Barbie knew he was a selfish man, searching desperately for the one person he took everything from. He took her old life and he killed it. He lied to her, kept secrets from her, and he let her care for him.

He still believed that he didn't deserve this death, that he deserved more, they all did. But when he really thought about it, and why it was he couldn't stop searching for her, he knew that it was for her. It was all for her. She deserved more than this. She didn't deserve to die alone, and he simply couldn't stand the thought of such a thing happening.

Barbie's voice echoes into the emptiness.

"Julia..."

The town remains deserted, for all the townspeople had been rounded up and guided safely beneath the ground. They clung to each other and the hope of survival. But there was no hope, there was no surviving this. This is it. This is their end.

Barbie comes to a sudden stop, exhaling deeply as he does. He rubs harshly at his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat which had fallen on his face, before his eyes close and he draws in a sharp breath of air.

He finds himself fighting the urge to curse aloud. He wants to curse the dome, and this world, but he doesn't. The words rise in his throat but he falls silent because there's no point in fighting or shouting because he'll be gone soon. His mistakes, his failures, and his pain will fade away with him and he'll be forgotten.

Moments after his hope of finding Julia sinks away, and he is resigned to the fact that he will die alone, trapped underneath the dome, he hears something familiar, something he'd been searching for.

Her voice in the wind. It is soft, and sweet, and calls gently to him.

"Barbie?!"

He instantly spins around, settling his eyes down upon her bright curls and soft eyes. She rests in the front seat of her car, hands clutched to the wheel, a frown resting on her face and anger swirling in her eyes. There isn't enough time left for anger.

"Where the hell have you been?" she shouts.

Barbie swallows tightly, moving hastily to her side.

"Where have I been?" he shouts back.

"Yeah." she slams the car door shut. "I've been looking all over town for you-"

"Yeah, and I've been looking for you." he cuts across her.

"Well..." she quietly starts, her voice is softer.

Her anger disappears, her features soften and she manages a small smile.

"You found me."

_They found each other._

He catches fear in her voice, and it's something he didn't expect from her.

"You want to head back to the-"

"No." she answers quickly.

If this is it, if this is really their end, then she doesn't want to join the crowded people of Chester's Mill who continue to cluch to hope. She knows that hope is futile, and she can see in Barbie's eyes that he feels the same. That's just one of the many things that they have in common. Julia knows if she rejoins them she won't be able to pretend that they'll make it through this, that life will continue on as it always has and they will all be okay - because life won't continue on and they won't be okay.

She shifts under his heavy gaze.

Barbie exhales deeply, scratching at his forehead as he does. "Where do you want to go then, Julia?"

"That depends on how long we have left."

He checks his watch. "Twelve minutes."

They're almost out of time.

"You think _we_ could make it back to my place?" Julia asks.

Her words replay loudly in his mind; she wants him to join her.

Barbie nods quickly, agreeing instantly. He can't waste time debating the idea. It isn't an ideal place to die, beside the woman he lied to and ultimately fell for, but then he never believed he would meet his end here or with her. He never believed he'd find someone like her, but he did and he was almost glad to be stuck here with her.

If Julia wants to be in her house, with him, when this all ends then he'll make sure she gets it.

"Let's go."

Julia drives quickly towards her house, her palms sweat as she grips the wheel and her breathing is much heavier.

But before they reach her house, before they're close enough, she stops the car abruptly and turns to Barbie.

"What are you doing?"

She exhales shakily. "I don't want to go home. I don't- I can't go back there."

Barbie doesn't question her reasons, instead he nods and draws in a tight breath of air.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Here." she answers quickly.

Without any explanation, she slides out of her car and begins to walk away.

He moves quickly out of the car. "Julia, what-"

Barbie watches as she slowly sits down in the middle of the road.

"Are you coming, or not?" she calls out without turning back.

He doesn't hesitate, there's no time for hesitation.

Julia slowly settles down on the road, she lies down on her back and stretches her legs out. Her eyes lift towards all that lies above, and she finds that the sky outside of the dome is peaceful, and calm. She almost can't believe that in moments it will all be over, that these will be her last minutes. She hears footsteps nearing but doesn't glance up, instead she keeps her eyes firmly settled on the light colour of the sky. She takes her time drawing in the details she never truly appreciated before.

"Will it be painful?" her voice rings with vulnerability.

"No." Barbie promises.

He watches as she casts him a look, her eyes skimming over him. He's lying directly beside her, resting on his back as she is, the only difference is that his eyes are settled on her and not the outside world that they'll never be a part of again.

"You won't feel a thing." he murmurs.

Julia slowly turns on her side, her eyes remaining focused on him as he does.

"How long?"

Barbie reluctantly pulls his eyes away from her, and checks his watch. "Nine minutes."

She breathes out heavily, her hands shaking as she lifts them to her forehead and brushes a strand of hair away.

"Hey..." his voice is soft, and kind.

He sticks his hand out and tucks the hair back off of her face.

"I don't know- I just don't get how you're so okay with this." she murmurs, her eyes briefly closing.

Barbie rolls over on his left side, so that their faces are aligned, so that when her eyes open they will lock directly with his.

"You're so calm. And-"

"I'm not." he answers honestly. "This isn't..."

"The way you wanted to die?"

"Mm." he exhales. "But I'm not okay...I'm just..."

"What?"

Her wide eyes open and settle upon him, and Barbie feels himself becoming lost in them.

Barbie finds himself at a loss of the right words.

"What, Barbie?"

"The only thing...I'm okay with is that you're here." he says, somehow keeping his eyes locked tightly with hers.

She laughs sadly. "What...So, you're saying you're okay that I'm trapped underneath this stupid dome with you?"

Julia watches as a tiny smile breaks out on his face.

"No, if I had a choice..." he starts.

"You wouldn't have come to Chester's Mill?"

Barbie sighs. "No, I would. But I would've..."

"What?"

"Made sure you were on the other side of the dome."

Julia breathes out heavily. "If I'm going to die, like this...I'm just-I'm glad that I'm not alone either."

Only several seconds of silence pass before Barbie reaches out for Julia's hand. He gently places his right hand around her waist, and takes her hands with his and holds it. She inches closer towards him, until their bodies are pressed up against each other and her head is pressed against his.

"How long?" she almost whispers.

Barbie holds her gaze. "It doesn't matter."

She laughs nervously. "Of course it matters-"

"It doesn't." he cuts across her. "Don't think about it."

"How can I not think about it?!" her voice raises.

Barbie lifts his hand and begins to gently caress her face. "Talk to me."

"About what...?"

"Anything that you want to."

"I want to talk about you."

"Okay," he replies. "What exactly-"

"If this dome didn't drop, where would you be-"

"That doesn't matter." he's quick to answer.

"Then what does?"

"Where I am. Right now." Barbie replies. "You matter."

She's always mattered to him, right from the moment he met her. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Julia was the first person he ever felt this way for, and she was the last person he'd ever feel this way for. And he was okay with that because before his death he was able to find the one person he truly connected with.

The one person who was capable of making him feel better. She made him feel human.

Julia leans closer and presses a soft, sweet kiss to his lips.

He breaks away. "Julia..."

"You're right," she breathes out. "Where we would've been...Who we are - none of it matters because in a few minutes, we're all going to be dead."

"Julia." he whispers again, his hand returning to her waist.

Barbie pulls her in closer. "Everyone has a safe place. Where's yours?"

"A safe place?"

"Yeah. A place that you go to when you're-"

"Scared about a bomb dropping down on an unexplainable dome that appeared out of nowhere?" she asks.

"Mhm," he presses a kiss to her forehead. "Tell me about it."

"A beach...White sand, cool waves...There's a warm sunset and a soft breeze."

She falls silent for a moment, but Barbie doesn't let the silence last for long.

"Keep talking." he says.

"Why were you searching for me?" she glances up at him.

Eyes wide and beautiful. Swirling with light and kindness, but the light is drowning with fear and the kindness is being suffocated by pain.

"What do you-" Barbie starts.

"You could've joined the others underneath the-"

He didn't want to be with them, he wanted to be with Julia.

"No, I couldn't have."

"Why?"

Barbie releases a deeply held sigh. "Because I wanted to be with you."

"That's why I was searching for you," she softly whispers. "I wanted to be with you too...I wish we had more time."

His voice remains gentle and reassuring. "We have plenty of time, Julia."

Julia smiles sadly. "How much time do we have-"

"That doesn't matter." he repeats. "We have time, that's what matters."

"Tell me about your safe place." she almost pleads.

Barbie doesn't answer immediately.

"Barbie, I told you about mine." her voice rises into his darkness.

"Okay." he finally answers.

She looks up to him, finding his eyes are intently set on her.

He watches her pensively, and it leaves Julia feeling like he can see right through her.

"It's a cabin in the woods..." Barbie murmurs quietly.

"Sounds great already." she manages a small smile.

Barbie feels his heart lurch in his chest as he feels Julia shaking under his arms. He pulls her in closer, and covers her with his both of his arms.

He only wants to keep her safe.

"Small cabin." he continues.

Julia pushes for more.

"Keep talking."

"Lots of land...And trees."

"So, lots of nature?" she asks.

Barbie nods. "Yeah. A small lake right by the house..."

Julia keeps her eyes closely on him because she doesn't want to look away for a second, not when they're almost of time.

"Barbie..."

"Yeah?" he quickly answers.

"In mine..." she softly says. "We'd have a small house beside the water..."

It takes him a moment to answer. "_We_?"

"Uh. Yeah, I know it's-" Julia nervously begins.

"I'd like that."

"If we had the time..." she murmurs sadly.

"We do have time."

She sniffles quietly, and he feels her grip around his chest tightening.

"God..." Julia sighs. "I wish we had met earlier - before this, before the dome...Before Chester's Mill."

"I don't."

"Why not?"

Barbie holds her gaze. "You wouldn't have liked who I was before."

"I would've-"

"You wouldn't." he answers quickly, because he's entirely certain she wouldn't have liked who he was before.

"That doesn't matter." Julia announces. "I like you now."

He smiles and presses another gentle kiss to her forehead. "I like you too."

Her voice returns to him after another moment of fearful silence.

"If we had time..."

"I'd take you to the cabin." Barbie answers quietly.

"You would?"

"Yes, Julia."

Barbie can't stop his eyes from wandering down to the watch on his wrist.

"What is it?" she catches the fear in his eyes. "How much longer do we have?"

Despite the fear building up inside of him, and the pain that surges through his body because in minutes he's about to lose her, Barbie manages to smile.

"Plenty of time." he lies.

She sees right through his lie and his attempt at a smile.

Panic sweeps over her. Fear echoes through her voice.

"Oh, god." she cries into his chest.

"We have time, Julia." he whispers soothingly. "I promise. What do you want to do?"

"I just- I want you. You're here with me, that's what I want." she answers quietly.

She keeps her head buried against his chest.

Barbie shuts his eyes and breathes out heavily.

They have four minutes.

"Julia...There's something you need to know." he quietly starts.

She's quick to answer. "You said it yourself, it doesn't matter. What matters is us, here. Now."

"You need to know this-"

"No, Barbie. I don't...I know who you are." she sounds so sure, so confident that she knows who he is.

But she doesn't know.

"You don't know, Julia. Not really." Barbie murmurs.

"I do." she breaks away. "You're a good guy, Barbie-"

"No, I'm not. I'm really not-"

"You are to me. You've always been good to me. You're the guy that saved my life, and the lives of so many people under this dome, many times. I know who you are, and I see...I see that you're good. That's what matters." she answers quietly.

When he doesn't answer her, and it becomes clear that he doesn't believe her, Julia lifts up her hands and gently places them down against his cheeks.

"Barbie. Listen to me...You have a good heart. Okay?"

His eyes close as she presses her forehead against his.

He feels her tears hitting his cheek. "And if I could've gone back- if I could've changed this, I wouldn't. Because then I wouldn't have met you. We wouldn't have found each other."

Barbie reaches out for her in the darkness, his eyes open and he pulls her into a soft kiss.

"Barbie..." she breaks away, placing her head back against his forehead.

"You're good for me." her voice cracks. "You have been, and I know that-that this was so unexpected...But it feels right. God, it feels right under here when everything else has felt so wrong. Everything else has been bad, and felt bad, except you. How can you not be good for me? What I'm trying to say is-"

"You're the only person," he says loudly, after his eyes had accidentally fallen upon his watch. "That I've ever really felt this for."

The tears fall down her cheeks still, the smile on her face widening.

"Julia, you - You're..."

"We go." she answers. "We click. It's just- It's like we were..."

Barbie's breathing becomes heavier. "I need you to know that you made me better than I ever could've been in the real world. Better than I ever was before."

She clutches both of his hands tightly and kisses them. "You kept me alive. Without you, I'd be all alone."

"But you're not alone," Barbie quickly says. "You'll never be alone, Julia."

Julia draws in a sharp breath of air. "You said it wouldn't hurt."

"It won't." he promises.

"It hurts now."

"Julia, look at me."

She looks at up at him slowly, eyes heavy, cheeks stained with tears.

"You won't feel anything. I promise." he whispers.

"But I do, I feel it now - I'm scared, and I feel-"

"Julia..."

She holds his gaze still.

"I love you."

He does love her, more than he ever thought he could, more than he thought he was capable of doing.

Dale Barbara never loved, like he loved her, before Julia Shumway. He didn't allow himself to love. He didn't believe he was capable of doing it, until he found her - He'd never love again after her. Even if they had made it out of this alive, he could never love like he loved her.

She kisses him again. "I love you too, Barbie. I do. More than I thought I could."

She had loved before but not like this. It never felt like this before. It wasn't this strong, or this real. It didn't consume her like their love did.

Barbie places her head against his chest and allows her to bury herself deep in his arms.

"It's okay," he whispers.

He checks his watch again, because he needs to know how much time they have left.

_Sixty seconds._

"Talk to me." her voice rises in the emptiness.

"I'm right here." his voice is gentle, and soothing, but it is also shaky.

She clings to him tighter.

"You're not alone, Julia." he continues. "We have each other."

He pulls away and lowers himself so he's lying down beside her, so their faces are aligned again, so she can look into his eyes when it hits.

Barbie needs to look into her eyes when it hits.

Her soft, light, swirling eyes.

His eyes lock with hers and he smiles. Their hands meet and join tightly, as their bodies press together.

Julia has never felt closer to anyone else in her life. Barbie has never allowed himself to be this close to someone else - until now.

She was the exception.

"Keep looking at me." he instructs.

Barbie feels his strength fading. His ability to keep himself together and hold her up is waning, because he knows that it's all going to be over in seconds and he can't begin to imagine an existence without her.

"I don't care what you said," she speaks up. "I wish we'd met earlier."

"I'm just glad we met when we did." he answers quietly.

Her smile returns, but quickly fades as a loud sound comes crashing down towards them.

Barbie briefly glances away, but she pulls his eyes back towards her.

"Don't look." her voice breaks. "Don't. Just keep your eyes on me. Stay with me. I don't want you to look at it. You can't look at it. I don't want you to. I don't want you to be scared. Look at me, Barbie."

He breathes out shakily. "Okay, Julia. It's okay. I'm just looking at you. Only you."

Their grip on each other's hands tightens.

A shocking, loud explosion ripples through the air.

"Barbie." her voice cracks with fear, the tears fall heavier down her face. "I'm scared."

"Don't be." his eyes remain on her. "I'm right here with you. I'll always be here."

There is no escaping this, there was never going to be an escape. This is it. The light soon falls upon them, and it when it claims them, when it carries them towards their inevitable end, they leave together.

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**A/N:**

_This was one-shot idea sparked after episode 5 of the Dome, and I was left wondering what if the MOAB was planned for a little later on and so, for the purposes of this story, the MOAB was planned to be dropped sometime after episode 7 where Barbie & Julia are already together. And instead of rebounding off the dome, it obviously works... I am totally hooked on this pairing, and definitely don't want anything like this story to happen to them on the show. I also plan to write more for them, but those stories will be different from this and won't end like this..._

_With that said..__Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoy._


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